


Hiding Behind Our Friendship

by jugglingeese



Category: The Musketeers (2014)
Genre: Heartache, M/M, Unrequited Love, Unresolved Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-04
Updated: 2014-04-04
Packaged: 2018-01-18 04:25:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 467
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1415050
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jugglingeese/pseuds/jugglingeese
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Aramis realises, over a long period of time, that he's ridiculously in love with Porthos. Short, heart-achey fluff fic.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hiding Behind Our Friendship

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimers:  
> 1) I do not own these characters  
> 2) I have never read the book, only seen the new BBC series.

Aramis is no fool. The first time his heart aches when he shares a grin with Porthos after a fight, he notices. He’s felt that ache before, but usually only with women. He keeps an eye on it, and in the meantime he watches Porthos when the other man is otherwise occupied, cataloguing his reactions to the angle of his so-close-to-sadistic grin, the tilt of his head in reaction to threats to his friends. The man is obviously attractive; Aramis would have to be blind not to see it. 

He spends the next few weeks analysing and overanalysing every interaction he has with Porthos, and he knows his observations aren’t going unnoticed. When Porthos questions him about his oddness the next time their heads are half-drunk buzzing, leaning back on his chair with his tunic open at the throat, Aramis can’t respond immediately. He pulls his attention away from the sharpness of Porthos’ jaw and replies casually, shrugging his shoulders and laughing it off as tiredness. He sees the shadows deepen in Porthos’ eyes, but he’s not challenged. 

He knows he’s closer to Porthos than Athos; it’s always been true. Athos is too solitary, too fond of drowning himself in a bottle after a rough day rather than spending time with his friends. Porthos and he have always paired off as a matter of course. Now, Aramis wonders whether he always knew, somehow, that he was fonder of Porthos than he would readily admit. 

It’s when Aramis realises that heat pools in his groin every time Porthos’ growl of a voice deepens into a commanding snarl that he knows he’s in trouble.

He avoids the musketeers for a couple of days, feigns sickness and refuses to see anyone. When he returns, it is with a girl on his arm and a charming smile on his face, and Porthos claps him on the back and congratulates him on his conquest while Athos rolls his eyes and half-heartedly chastises him for his activities. Aramis scrutinises Porthos’ face for any signs of disappointment, any sign that he might care romantically for him, and sees nothing. 

He locks it away, and learns to treat Porthos as he always has, selfishly taking every back-and-forth exchange, every joke and jest and touch between them, and telling himself that this will be enough. He can live with this. His friendship with Porthos is strong enough that every time he takes just a little too much, stays close for just a little too long, Porthos shrugs it off as Aramis’ indulgence of his ‘romantic side’, and teases him for it. Aramis prays that, in time, he will learn to love others. And he prays that Porthos will never discover the deception at the heart of their friendship. He knows that they will not survive that.


End file.
